By CK Khanal
Kathmandu, May 16: The government has introduced sustainable tourism revival programmes in its policy and programme tabled by President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Friday.
Tabling the policy and programme of the government for the next fiscal year 2020/21, President Bhandari said that the government would implement the sustainable tourism programme by studying the effects of COVID-19 and other external factors in the country’s tourism industry.
Tourism and aviation are the most affected sector by the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.
“Nepali tourism and aviation sectors have also been heavily affected by it and the tourism entrepreneurs are eagerly waiting for the revival package. The ambitious tourism campaign of Visit Nepal Year 2020 has been withdrawn due to the global pandemic,” she said.
The government has hinted at introducing long-term sustainable revival plan through the fiscal budget of the next fiscal year. The policy and programme have a plan to complete the process of transferring the Tribhuvan International Airport into a boutique airport by the end of the next fiscal year.
Similarly, the government has forwarded a plan of bringing the Gautam Buddha International Airport into operation, completing the construction of Pokhara International Airport and make pre-operational works, and start the construction work at Nijgadh International Airport in the next fiscal year.
Completion of construction works of the two domestic airports and blacktopping of three domestic airports have been included in the policy document, which will be implemented within next fiscal year.
Likewise, the government has introduced a programme of constructing two airports in Chuhandanda of Terhathum district and at a suitable place of Kavrepalanchok district.
The government has also introduced a policy of motivating the tourism entrepreneurs for the establishment of well-facilitated hill stations as well as hotels and resorts with tourism facilities in the hilly and mountainous regions.

Division of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) into two authorities to look after regulatory function and service provider, completion of yoga and meeting hall in Lumbini, implementation of Broader Lumbini Master Plan and Ramgram etc are other programmes included in the new policy document of the government.
The government has also introduced a plan to start the process of registering Tilaurakot, where Siddhartha Gautam had spent 29 years of his life before becoming the Buddha, in the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.